Bringing you the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and His Church While PROMOTING CATHOLIC Apologetic Support groups loyal to the Holy Father and Church's magisterium
Home About
AskACatholic.com
What's New? Resources The Church Family Life Mass and
Adoration
Ask A Catholic
Knowledge base
AskACatholic Disclaimer
Search the
AskACatholic Database
Donate and
Support our work
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
New Questions
Cool Catholic Videos
About Saints
Disciplines and Practices for distinct Church seasons
Purgatory and Indulgences
About the Holy Mass
back
About Mary
Searching and Confused
Contemplating becoming a Catholic or Coming home
Homosexual and Gender Issues
Life, Dating, and Family
No Salvation Outside the Church
Sacred Scripture
non-Catholic Cults
Justification and Salvation
The Pope and Papacy
The Sacraments
Relationships and Marriage situations
Specific people, organizations and events
Doctrine and Teachings
Specific Practices
Church Internals
Church History

Bruce Evangelista wrote:

Hi, guys —

Many written prayers of the Our Father exclude the Amen at the end of the prayer.

  • How come?

Bruce

  { Why do many written prayers of the "Our Father" exclude the "Amen" at the end of the prayer? }

Mike replied:

Hi Bruce,

My colleagues may have a different take but I would say it depends on the content and what media you are reading the prayer from.

  • If the Our Father is viewed on a web page (or within an information context of what the words of the Our Father are), though poorly presented, it may not have an Amen at the end.
  • If the Our Father is viewed from a liturgical booklet or pamphlet which the faithful read, recite, (and/or) pray from it should have an Amen. When we say Amen, we are saying, I believe.

This is from the Catechism:

"AMEN".

1061 The Creed, like the last book of the Bible, (Revelation 22:21) ends with the Hebrew word amen. This word frequently concludes prayers in the New Testament. The Church likewise ends her prayers with Amen.

1062 In Hebrew, amen comes from the same root as the word believe. This root expresses solidity, trustworthiness, faithfulness. And so we can understand why Amen may express both God's faithfulness towards us and our trust in Him.

1063 In the book of the prophet Isaiah, we find the expression God of truth (literally God of the Amen), that is, the God who is faithful to his promises: "He who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth [amen]." (Isaiah 65:16) Our Lord often used the word Amen, sometimes repeated, (cf. Matthew 6:2,5,16; John 5:19) to emphasize the trustworthiness of his teaching, his authority founded on God's truth.

1064 Thus the Creed's final Amen repeats and confirms its first words: I believe. To believe is to say Amen to God's words, promises and commandments; to entrust oneself completely to him who is the Amen of infinite love and perfect faithfulness. The Christian's everyday life will then be the Amen to the I believe of our baptismal profession of faith:

May your Creed be for you as a mirror. Look at yourself in it, to see if you believe everything you say you believe. And rejoice in your faith each day. (St. Augustine, Sermo 58, 11, 13: PL 38, 399)

1065 Jesus Christ himself is the Amen. (cf. Revelation 3:14) He is the definitive Amen of the Father's love for us. He takes up and completes our Amen to the Father: "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God": (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Through him, with him, in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
almighty Father,
God, for ever and ever.

AMEN.


Hope this helps,

Mike

Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
Suggestions for this web page and the web site can be sent to Mike Humphrey
© 2012 Panoramic Sites
The Early Church Fathers Church Fathers on the Primacy of Peter. The Early Church Fathers on the Catholic Church and the term Catholic. The Early Church Fathers on the importance of the Roman Catholic Church centered in Rome.